Saturday, May 10, 2014

"Mother's Day"

"Mother's Day"

My mother once
asked me” do you know why the army
officers and soldiers get up early every morning, get ready in complete
uniform and do extensive exercises and parade? Why do they regularly check and
clean their weapons?"

I said” Is it
because they don't have anything else to do since there is no war"

She smiled and said
"No"

"Then I don't
know. Please tell me mother."

She said “even if
there is no war they know that enemy can strike anytime so they want to stay
prepared all the time. You know many great armies in the past, lost simply
because they were attacked suddenly while they were drinking and dancing,
enjoying the parties or sleeping. They lost because they had let down their
guards. A Good general knows this and keeps his soldiers alert and ready all
the time so they are not caught unaware or unprepared."

"Similarly,"
she said” a 'Bhakta should also be always ready and prepared because the
enemies such as Kaama, Krodha and Lobha can strike at any time. Just as enemy spies
can secretly enter in an army camp and destroy it from inside, similarly the ego,
attachment and jealousy can also silently penetrate an unaware and careless
mind and destroy the Bhakti and Shradha (Devotion) from within.

So a Bhakta
must always stay alert and keep his 'weapons' sharp. His weapons are
Satsang and Sumiran.

Even a mighty great
army may lose the battle if it does not keep its weapons sharp and up to date.

If a Bhakta does
not keep his 'weapons'; "Satsang and Sumiran', strong and up to date, he might
also lose the battle of conquering the 'Samsaara'."

This was a great
lesson; one of the greatest gifts, my mother gave me just a few months before
she left this physical world.

Today, on the
'Mother's day', I wish and pray that I may remember this great lesson she
taught, till the end of my physical journey; to win the battle of 'Samsaara'
and be free from bondage.